Where is the Wall?

When people are walking Hadrian’s Wall Path they come through Burgh-by-Sands and apparently they often wonder where the Wall is. Well, the answer is that there is no sign of the Wall, or the Roman fort that was here, but the church was built over the top of the site and many of the stones from the wall were used in its building – hence the rather nicely shaped stones you can see in the church walls. In Extras I have placed a photo of an artist’s impression of what the fort and the wall were possibly like – superimposing the church gives an indication as to the size of the fort and the height of the wall.

So, when walkers say: Where is the wall? Locals point to the Church!
 
St Michael’s Church itself is fascinating. It dates from the 12th century and is obviously a fortified church with a tower serving as a refuge during turbulent times. The body of King Edward I lay here for a while after his death nearby in July 1307. There is an excellent exhibition inside the tower telling of its chequered history. Well worth a visit if you are anywhere near the Solway.
 
We set off this morning on a shopping and general errands trip, but the day turned out so nice that we carried on past Carlisle and to Burgh-by-Sands. Gordon found some more of the route of the Silloth to Carlisle railway and best of all we found the Station, now a private house, and, as a lady drew up in her car, he asked her about it and she invited us in to wander the garden, where the platform is still intact and the building is largely as it was. She even took us into the house and showed us where the ticket office was – still with its window. What a delightful lady she was.
 
So, we found a railway, a station, a lovely little nature reserve, a medieval church, and the site of a Roman fort. We met some wonderful local people and had lunch in the pub. Shopping was never this exciting!
 
   We did the shopping etc. on the way home